The Enhanced Partnership with Pakistan
Act of 2009 authorizes democratic, economic, and development assistance
to Pakistan in the amount of $1.5 billion per year from FY 2010 to FY 2014,
for a total of $7.5 billion.

On 18 January, the United Nations Emergency
Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, allocated nearly US$100 million through
the Under-funded window of the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF).
This is emergency money to plug critical gaps in funding to life-saving
humanitarian interventions.

Of this allocation, agencies working
in Afghanistan received $11 million, while the UN country team in Yemen
received $7 million.

This appeal is launched to follow-on
from the response by ACT members to assist people amongst over 1.8 million
women, men and children displaced by conflict in 2009 (including ACT appeal
PAK091), now with a focus on enabling the long-term recovery process for
returnees and those who stayed behind during the fighting in their places
of origin in the Swat and Buner Districts of the North West Frontier Province
(NWFP).

Pakistan faced an enormous humanitarian
crisis in Malakand division (North-West Frontier Province) and the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) triggered by fierce fighting between Government
security forces and militants. While the hostilities were on-going since
August 2008, it gained intensity from May 2009.

Period covered by this Operations Update:
4 December 2009 to 20 March 2010 Appeal target (current): CHF 3,635,713
(USD 3.58 million or EUR 2.4 million);

Appeal coverage: 98%

Appeal history:

- A Revised Emergency Appeal was launched
on 13 November 2009 for CHF 3,635,713 (USD 3.58 million or EUR 2.4 million)
to support the Pakistan Red Crescent (PRCS) in assisting 42,000 people
(6,000 families) until March 2010.

- The emergency appeal budget was revised
down to CHF 7,974,802 on 6 July 2009 to assist 91,000 displaced people
(13,000 families).

LAHORE, 31 March 2010 (IRIN) - The Urdu
expression 'chaddar aur chardawari' is often quoted in Pakistan to suggest
that women are safest under their shawl ('chaddar') and within the four
walls ('chardawari') of their home.

This may hold true for many women, but
for some, such as 25-year-old Naseeba Bibi, it could not be further from
the truth.

Naseeba said she had suffered continual
abuse from her husband since they got married six years ago in Kasur, about
55km southeast of Lahore, Punjab Province.

Successful End of Canadian-Backed Training
Project Wraps Up Habitat's Current Activities in Pakistan

BANGKOK 30TH MARCH 2010: Habitat for
Humanity Pakistan has completed a highly successful project to assist families
whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake that
struck northwestern Pakistan and neighboring counties in October 2005.

Funded through donations from HFH Canada
and CIDA, the Canadian government's international development agency, the
Pakistan Earthquake Reconstruction Initiative was the centerpiece of Habitat's
work in …

PESHAWAR, Pakistan - Taliban militants
set fire to a boys' school Tuesday in northwest Pakistan nearly a year
after the military launched a major assault to evict Islamist fighters
from the area, police said.

The arson attack took place in Maidan
town of Lower Dir, where residents took up arms to fight against militants
fleeing a military offensive designed to crush Taliban insurgents last
year.